Ghanaian Detainees Statement – Death of Prince Ofosu (UK)

We are presenting this information from Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, regarding the death of Prince Ofosu, a detainee aged 31 years.

What we do know about the death of Prince Ofosu, the Ghanaian detainee who died on Tuesday 30th October, 2012 is as follows:

1. Prince Ofosu was forcibly restrained by GEO officers employed by the UKBA.

2. We understand that Prince Ofosu sustained some injuries. The GEO officer, Jim by name who inflicted massive blows on prince Ofosu had some blood stains on his uniform, but he was asked to remove the blood stained clothes so that no one would notice what happened. His clothes were changed for him. That happened in a room known as “block” [rule 40].

3. Currently, in order to pervert the course of justice, the GEO officer Jim purposely applied for leave because of what he has done.

4. A reliable information from another GEO officer who was at the scene, (but wants to remain anonymous), specified that Prince Ofosu was stripped naked at the “block” [rule 40] and the heating system was turned off. Prince Ofosu was left in the cold without even a duvet till his death 24 hours after being detained at the block.

5. Another incidence occurred where a Ghanaian by name Kofi, was refusing to be removed or deported. The GEO escort staff, forced Kofi on board the transporting coach. On the way to Stansted airport, Kofi wa injected on his neck on the bus with drug by the escort officer and a GEO nurse. Kofi slept within few seconds and was easily put on the flight PVT090 and deported to Ghana on 5th July 2012. The detainees at Harmondsworth tried contacting Kofi from Ghana but no news about him so far.

6. There are other Ghanaian patients in detention who are not being given medical care as required. One example is a young lad whose blood sample was taken for examination but after two months, he was told they could not find his blood sample, suggesting they don’t care whether he survives or dies. This patient also suffers blood pressure and diabetes, but the medication they gave him is Gaviscon and Ibuprofen.

7. There is another who has developed chronic head ache due to the death of Prince Ofosu, for fear that he probably might be the next to be maltreated to death. He was unable to eat or sleep at night.

8. There is yet another with heart failure who, even though has a specialist consultant that only monitors his heart condition, the UKBA has ignored him and has been detained without proper care. He had MRI scan recently, but had not even received medical results from his consultant when he was forced into detention.

9. Furthermore, there is another Ghanaian who has a kidney problem and had his urine sample taken at the clinic for investigation on 17th October, 2012. He was told he would receive the result in five (5) days but till date (2/11/12) nothing was received. The illness is still persistent but there has been no treatment. Suggesting that the UKBA and the GEO staff do not care about his welfare.

10. Finally, there is no permanent doctor here at Harmondsworth IRC clinic. Those doctors who come on duty appears to be part-time (locum) doctors. Each doctor probably comes weekly. When a doctor prescribes medication to a detainee, he or she is not available regularly to monitor the progress of the detained patient.

In conclusion, we in detention appear to be maltreated. Others have much genuine cases but the UKBA tries hard to falsify documents to suit their evil practises.